US2812197A

US2812197A - Toggle packer, well head preventer

Info

Publication number: US2812197A
Application number: US528699A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wilfred C Gibson
Original assignee: Shaffer Tool Works
Current assignee: Shaffer Tool Works
Priority date: 1955-08-16
Filing date: 1955-08-16
Publication date: 1957-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 1974-11-05

Description

Nov. 5, 1957 W. C. GIBSON TOGGLE PACKER, WELL HEAD PREVENTER Filed Aug. 16, 1955 W/L M50 0. mesa/v IN V EN T 0R.

United States Patent r.

TOGGLE. PACKER, WELL HEAD PREVENTER Wilfred C. Gibson, Fullerton, Califl, assignor to Shaffer Tool Works, Brea, Calif., a corporation of California Application August 16, 1955, Serial No. 528,699

7 Claims. (Cl. 286-163) This invention concerns headworks fittings of deep well equipment, and is an improved blow out preventer, and includes changes over the preventer shown in application Serial No. 429,486.

In the instant invention there is provided a tubular, elastic packer provided with stilf top and bottom armor segments to protect the exposed ends of the packer. The principle and object of this invention is to provide an inflexible and powerful toggle link device for forcing the segments centripetally during operation of the preventer in making a pipe passage shut off.

And an object is to provide a cushioning bolster in and for the said device.

The invention resides in certain advancements in this art as set forth in the ensuing disclosure and has, with the above, additional objects and advantages as hereinafter developed, and whose constructions, combinations and subcombinations, and details of means and manner of operation will be made manifest in the following description of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations, adaptations and equivalents may be resorted to within the scope, spirit and principle of the invention as it is claimed in conclusion hereof.

Figure 1 is an axial section of the packer assembly, partly in elevation. Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the armor segments. Figure 3 is a plan view of a toggle link. Figure 4 is a sectional edge view of a bolster element. Figure 5 is an elevation of a portion of a link cage.

The preventer illustrated includes an upper housing 2 the lower end of which has a rim shoulder 2s on which lands the upper end of an encompassing collar 3 which is joined by suitable screw threads 3s to a lower cylinder 4 having a basal flange 4f to attach to lower apparatus, not shown. These joined parts have an axial passageway for tool or other parts, as is well known.

A tubular piston 6 has a lower head 6h packed and working in the cylinder 4 and has, fixed to its upper end, as by screws 7, a crown disc 8 which in the illustrated, lower position of the piston 6 rests close to a separator plate 9 which is clinched tight between the housing and the cylinder. The plate 9 has motive fluid ducts 9a and 9b for double action on the piston, that is for supplying fluid pressure for actuating the piston upwardly or downwardly respectively as shown in Fig. 1; the plate being packed onto the reduced hub of the piston. Duct 9a communicates with a pasage 4a in cylinder 4 which is adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure. Duct 9b is similarly connected with a passage (not shown) in the cylinder 4 which is also adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure.

The disc 8 constitutes a circular, transverse ram on whose upper face rests a circular gang of armor segments 10, Fig. 2, which are partially embedded in the lower end of a thick-wall, tubular mass of suitable elastic material (rubber or the like) forming a massive packer 11. The upper end of the packer lodges on an embedded, ring of segmental armor parts 12 similar to segments 10.

If the. piston. ram disc 8. forcedupwardby motive. fluid from duct 9a themassiyepacker. isaxiallyshort ed.

and the bore portion of the mass extrudes inwardly either to engage on an interposed apparatus string element, regardless of its shape of cross-section, or to so fully compact as to completely choke its bore hole. When ram pressure is decreased the packer tends to automatically elongate.

' Means are here provided whereby to reliably insure that the packer will make a safe shut-off under action of the ram. Said means includes upper and lower rings of relatively inverted, inflexible toggle links 13 which are pivotally connected at 14 to the outer ends of the

respective segments

10 and 12. Slidably fitted in the bore of the housing is a jacket 15 embedded in the outer surface of the packer 11; this having corner surfaces 11s sealing on nearby housing surface and ends of the jacket. Slidably mounted in the jacket there is a transverse bolster consisting of stacked, relatively inverted, frusto-conoidal spring rings 16 and the toggle links incline longitudinally and outwardly from the upper and lower gangs of armor segments to converge to and rest on the interposed bolster rings.

The bolster ends of the links pivotally swing in windows 17w of relatively inverted upper and lower cages 17 embedded in the packing mass and slidably supported in the jacket.

Therefore, when the piston ram moves up in the housing the packer mass and the armor segments all concurrently compact toward the housing passageway to make the shut-01f. Endwise extrusion of the packer is stopped by the several segments, and these latter also stop the bore ends of the packer from being torn away.

I claim:

1. A blow out preventer of the class shown, including: a top, cylindrical housing having an axial pipe hole and a cylinder attached to the lower end of the housing; a piston coaxially mounted in the cylinder and adapted to be actuated longitudinally in both directions; a packing unit bodily slidable into the housing and including a coaxial, tubular, elastic packer; upper and lower circles of armor segments partially embedded in the ends of the packer; a cylindrical jacket fitting the bore face of the housing and embracing the packer and overlapped by end portions thereof; a cage within the jacket adjacent one end thereof and embedded in the packer; toggle means operatively connecting the segments and said cage; and means for delivering pressure fluid to the piston.

2. The preventer defined by claim 1 wherein said toggle means includes upper and lower circles of independent, inflexible toggle links.

3. The preventer defined by claim 2 wherein saidlinks are pivotally connected to respective segments and to said cage.

4. The preventer defined by claim 2, including an expansion bolster between and cushioning the said circles of links.

5. The preventer defined by claim 4 wherein said bolster comprises stacked, relatively inverted frustoconoidal spring rings.

6. The preventer defined by claim 1 wherein said end portions of the packer overlapping said jacket, sealingly engage contiguous surfaces of the housing bore.

7. In a blow out preventer: a top, cylindrical housing having an axial pipe hole; a cylinder attached to the lower end of the housing; a piston operably mounted within the housing and cylinder and adapted to be actuated axially in both directions; a packing unit in the housing and including a coaxial, tubular, elastic packer; upper and lower groups of armor segments partially embedded in the ends of the packer, the segments of each group being arranged ageants. .4.95

References Cited in the file of this patent annularly; a cylindrical jacket fitting the bore of the hous- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing and encircling the packer, there being end portions of said packer which overlap the ends of said jacket; a

cage within the jacket adjacent one end thereof and em- 3 2 3 2 Stone June 231 1942 bedded in said packer; and toggle means operatively con? 5 3:

meeting said segments and said cage.